Vacuum cleaner



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Inventor- David C. Spo ner-Jr,

71 l-lls D. C. SPOONER, JR

VACUUM CLEANER Filed April 19, 1955 Feb. 7, 1939.-

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES VACUUM CLEANER David C. Spooner, Jr., Stratiord, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application April 19, 1935, Serial No. 17,219

1 Claim.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners of the domestic type suitable for cleaning floor coverings and the like. In vacuum cleaners of this type, the height of the suction nozzle above the surface being cleaned should be adjusted in accordance with the nature of the surface in order to obtain the most effective cleaning. For instance, when cleaning rugs having a heavy pile, the nozzle should have a more elevated position relative to the rug than when cleaning rugs having a lowpile.

The object of myinvention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement in a vacuum cleaner for adjusting the position of the suction nozzle relative to the surface being cleaned. For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claim appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is.a fragmentary side elevation of the vacuum cleaner shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 25 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates a vacuum cleaner casing having a suction nozzle 2, a discharge conduit 2 a handle 3, front supporting wheels 4, and rear supporting wheels 5. The rear 30 supporting wheels are rotatably carried on stub shafts 6 which are bolted to ears 1 formed at the rear of the casing. The front supporting wheels 4 are rotatably carried on the offset ends 8 of a shaft 9. This shaft fits in open-ended grooves 5 formed in the under side of bosses ID on the easing' and is held in place in these grooves. by plates II which are secured to the under side of the bosses. In this construction, it is evident that by rotating the shaft 9, the vertical position of the 40 wheels I will be adjusted and the vertical position of the nozzle with reference to the surface being cleaned will thereby be adjusted.

The position of the suction nozzle relative to the surface being cleaned is adjusted by a pedal l2 which is pivotally supported intermediate its ends on a stub shaft I3 which is threaded into the side wall of the casing I. By this arrangement, the pedal is supported for rocking movement relative to the casing. Secured to the forward part of the pedal is a crank pin I4 which fits within a slot I5 in the end of a lever I6. The other end of lever i6 is provided with a slot l I which fits over a flattened portion 18 on the shaft 5 9 and is clamped thereto by a screw l 9. A spring pressed ball carried by the pedal l2 co-operates with holes 2| formed in a plate 22 carried by the cleaner casing to provide detents for holding the pedal in position. 10

In Fig. 2, the pedal is shown in a horizontal position which corresponds to a medium height of the nozzle above the surface being cleaned. When the pedal is inclined downwardly by pressure on the front end of the pedal, the crank pin M, which 15 is attached to the pedal, causes the lever l6 and the shaft 9, which is connected thereto, to be rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig.

2. This causes the nozzle to be lowered closer to the surface being cleaned. The nozzle is raised by 20 pressure 'on the rear end of the pedal which causes the shaft 9 to be rotated in the opposite direction, thereby elevating the nozzle. The inclination of the pedal therefore provides an indication of the position of the nozzle. This arrangement has the additional advantage that the rocking movement of the pedal necessary to raise and lower the suction nozzle is efiected by downward pressure on the pedal.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a surface tool having a surface cooperating part, a shaft journaled in said tool and having offset ends, supporting wheels carried by said ofiset ends, the shaft being located so that upon turning of the shaft the wheels are moved relative to the tool to adjust the position of the surface cooperating part to positions between an upper and a lower position, a pedal supported intermediate its ends on the tool for rocking movement whereby downward pressure on either end of the pedal will cause tilting of the pedal, a lever fixed to said shaft, a crank rotated by said pedal, a pin and slot connection between said crank and said lever for turning said shaft, and means for holding said shaft in the position to which it is moved by said pedal.

DAVID C. SPOONER. Jn. 

